Dale Earnhardt Jr. backed driver sets the record straight on misconception about NASCAR Cup Series

JR Motorsports driver Justin Allgaier, backed by Dale Earnhardt Jr., recently reflected on his brief tenure in the NASCAR Cup Series. The Xfinity Series veteran set the record straight on misconceptions about his Cup career, explaining that he wasn't in competitive equipment while driving for HScott Motorsports.

Allgaier drove for Penske and Turner Scott Motorsports in the Xfinity Series before making the jump to the HScott Motorsports Cup team in 2014. During his two-year stint with the backmarker team, he recorded a single top-10 finish but was unable to showcase his full potential. He returned to the Xfinity Series with JR Motorsports in 2016 and recently clinched his first championship.

In a recent interview with Jeff Gluck, Justin Allgaier addressed critics who claimed he had squandered his opportunity in the Cup Series. He explained that many people assume he had top-tier equipment at HScott Motorsports, when in fact, he was driving for a struggling backmarker team that ultimately folded a few years later.

Responding to Gluck's question about what people often get wrong about him, the 38-year-old told The Athletic:

"A lot of people assume when I was in Cup, I had equal equipment to what the guys up front were running. I see a lot of comments where somebody will say, “Oh, I wish he would go back to Cup racing” and then you’ll see 100 comments that say, “He had a shot in Cup and didn’t make it last.” Well, look at Alex Bowman when he drove for BK Racing. Look at Clint Bowyer when he drove the (HScott Motorsports) car after me."

Alongside Justin Allgaier, the 2014 Cup Series rookie class featured a stacked lineup of eight drivers, including Kyle Larson, Austin Dillon, Alex Bowman, Ryan Truex, Parker Kligerman, and others. Allgaier finished third in the rookie standings, trailing only Larson and Dillon.

Bowman had a worse rookie season than Allgaier, driving for the backmarker BK Racing team. However, he punched his ticket to Hendrick Motorsports with his impressive substitute performances in 2016. Clint Bowyer also struggled to find success with HScott Motorsports in 2016.

The Dale Earnhardt Jr.-backed driver said that he wouldn't change anything about the past, but would love to race in the Cup Series for a competitive team.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. "fine with" Justin Allgaier's strategy gamble

Dale Earnhardt Jr. was fine with Justin Allgaier's strategy gamble, as the #7 JR Motorsports driver ignored his crew chief's call to pit. William Byron capitalized on fresh tires to win the race, while Allgaier had to settle for a fourth-place finish.

Dale Jr. said that Allgaier has the experience to make such calls and was satisfied with the outcome of the race. He insisted that Allgaier could have won if a series of late race cautions hadn't occurred.

"Justin is a veteran and a champion now, he has earned that opportunity to make those type of decisions. Every decision you make is always not going to be the right one. He took a gamble, I'm fine with him doing that. If we don't get a couple of those yellows late, maybe he pulls it off." Dale Earnhardt Jr. said on Dale Jr. Download. [1:08:30 onwards]

Justin Allgaier occupies the top spot in the Xfinity standings, 72 points ahead of Austin Hill in second. The rest of Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s Xfinity drivers include Connor Zilisch in sixth, Carson Kvapil in eighth, and Sammy Smith in 13th.